Little Owl

I clicked the shutter for a quick record shot and was about to take another photograph with my zoom lens when I heard voices behind me and noticed a family with a football heading down the road in my direction. Naturally I was not the only one who was disturbed...

You can imagine, then, how pleased I was when I uploaded my pictures later that evening to discover that I had at least taken a photo of half an owl!

Spotting this creature made me realise how little knowledge I have about the species. I know that the Little Owl (otherwise known as Athene noctua) is not a bird native to the UK and that there has been a marked decline in numbers, but I have so much more to learn. This site, UK Little Owl Project, is a brilliant starting point.

No Barn Owls, but...

Part of the excitement of wildlife watching is that you never quite know who or what will turn up. We headed for a spot where we had seen Barn Owls on several occasions in the past, but on this particular afternoon (last Sunday), there were none about. We did however catch an unexpected glimpse of a Little Owl from the car window, but it had flown by the time I could click my camera. Just as we turned for home we noticed this Kestrel on an iron fence. Suffolk is full of surprises!